Popular in merchandise sales; popular in ticker tape

As the afterglow of the Yankees World Series win still burns bright amongst New Yorkers, two stories today prove just how popular the Bombers are. First, the Gotham Gazette reports that Yankee fans dumped 56.5 tons of ticker tape on Lower Manhattan last Friday. That’s 20 tons more than the Giants enjoyed when they won the Super Bowl in 2008. Included in that great weight of paper were some unshredded personal documents. Oops.

From an economic perspective, the Yanks’ World Series win has been great for merchandise sales. According to the Biz of Baseball, sales from World Series merch are trending at second-best all time. The Red Sox are, of course, on top of that list. Fans flocked to buy Boston gear after an 86-year drought. Yankee fans had to wait only nine season between titles and are rewarding themselves with championship t-shirts galore. Of course, as Modell’s president Seth Horowitz noted, numerous fans may be either of the fair weather variety or the world title-or-bust persuasion. “Sales were relatively soft going into the World Series, and then they exploded,” he said. “It was almost as if the fans wanted the championship and nothing else.”

i am not a fair weather fan, obv, but i would not buy alds or alcs champion gear. seems pointless.

The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

Of course, as Modell’s president Seth Horowitz noted, numerous fans may be either of the fair weather variety or the world title-or-bust persuasion. “Sales were relatively soft going into the World Series, and then they exploded,” he said.

Disagree, strongly. I didn’t buy a piece of playoff merchandise prior to the end of the World Series. Frankly, I don’t want an “ALDS CHAMPS!” t-shirt if the Yanks don’t win the ALCS and World Series (or, let’s be honest, even if they do). And this has nothing to do with being a fair-weather fan (I’m a season-ticket holder who spends entirely too much time on baseball) or with being a stuck-up, entitled Yankees fan. I just think the merchandise, other than World Series merchandise, is stupid.

If I saw an Angels fan with an ALDS champs t-shirt on I’d be like ‘congrats on that big ALDS win, but bummer about losing the ALCS. You lose! You get nothing! Good day sir!’ Seen any Sox fans with “Wild Card Champs!” merchandise on lately? Yanks fans refraining from buying non-World Series merchandise means nothing other than the merchandising companies and MLB are retarded for flooding the market with too much pre-World Series merchandise. I mean, bummer for Seth Horowitz that he’s left holding the bag, but he should look at his own decisions and the decisions of his suppliers rather than blaming fan interest.

http://www.secondavenuesagas.com Benjamin Kabak

I am inclined to agree with you in regards to ALDS/AL champs material. I’m curious to hear then if Horowitz means that sales of playoff merch were slow or overall sales of general Yankee merch were slow.

Ed

In recent years, I’d imagine the pre-WS merchandise sold well in cities like Houston, Colorado, and Tampa who had never had postseason success before.

When the Pirates finally make the playoffs again, I’m sure even Wild Card merchandise would sell relatively well (as far as Pirates merchandise goes).

But I agree with you completely on the Yanks/Sox/Angels points. For a team that regularly has success – it’s silly to buy early postseason merchandise. Any Red Sox fan wearing a wild card tshirt now is just begging to be made fun of by Yankees fans.

A.D.

Agreed, no one wants to buy an AL Champs shirt when in 2 weeks it’ll cost them the same to buy a WS champs shirt…or if their team loses that same AL champs shirt.

The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

I’m curious now, but I’m sure nobody’s around anymore… Show of hands… Who buys playoff merchandise before the WS? I’d venture a guess next to nobody answers in the affirmative, if anyone answers at all. I just find it shocking that these retailers are surprised by this. $35 for an ALDS or ALCS t-shirt that may be made relatively worthless in a week or two? Who makes that purchase? (In Yankees-world I mean, not in Pirates-world or Nationals-world).

Salty Buggah

This reminds me. I need to order my championship gear.

jsbrendog

i really like that grey ws champ sweatshirt

vin

I like the design of the parade shirts. It even got my wife’s approval.

Why someone would buy anything other than WS Championship gear is beyond me.

vin

I did my part… got my parade t-shirt yesterday. Along with the WS program and regular NY ski cap.

“It was almost as if the fans wanted the championship and nothing else.”

When your team has won about 1 out of every 4 World Series ever played, and been in about 1 of every 3, you kinda have to be a little more selective in what playoff merchandise you buy than fans of other teams do. “AL East Champions” just isn’t that impressive to a Yankee fan.

I’d imagine part of it also has to do with how good the team was this year. I think the general vibe was much stronger than it had been since at least ’04. People just expected this team to win it all this year, so why buy LCS merchandise when you expect a championship?

crapula

There is still ticker tape downtown (or shredded paper). on some of those brick streets it looks like it is impossible to clean up.

Usty

I did buy the charcoal 2009 Playoffs ThermaBase hoodie at game 1 of the ALDS. It was so damn cold that night and I love that sweatshirt. As for everything else, I bought the WS patched 59-50 and then the WS Champs hat. If I can find the ALCS fitted for cheap, I might pick that up now as a hat to just trash while cutting grass etc.